FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT ROBIN HOOD - PAGE 4

Rightly believing that we can never get enough Shakespeare, Chicago theater artist Scott Lynch-Giddings has enlarged the repertory by perpetrating a happy hoax. A "lost" play from 1596 now lovingly restored by Equity Library Theatre, "Robin Hood" is Lynch-Giddings' successful-but overlong-attempt to wed the Bard's strength and style to a 12th-Century legend as English as the language. A labor of love and intense research (at the Newberry Library), Lynch-Giddings' worthy fake holds its own with such lesser Shakespeare as "Comedy of Errors" or "King John."

On the set of "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," director Mel Brooks called aside star Cary Elwes and told him he didn't want him to do any Jewish jokes. "That's fine with me," the actor said, "because I'm not Jewish." A few minutes later, Brooks called aside Elwes again and told him, "I think we need a Jewish joke here." "I think it was at that moment that I knew for sure that I was in a Mel Brooks movie," said Elwes, who plays the title role in the film spoof, now playing in Chicago.

The overwhelming impression left by "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is one of unpleasant bodily fluids flowing freely. When the characters aren`t bleeding, they`re spitting. As directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner, this new "Robin Hood" seems a strangely bitter, claustrophobic and glumly violent film to follow the innocent, campfire-tale heroics of "Dances With Wolves." Everyone involved with "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" seems so desperate to avoid comparisons with the classic Michael Curtiz-Errol Flynn version of the story that massive errors have been committed in the other direction.

Mention Robin Hood and most people think of a grown man running around in a ridiculous outfit, acting snotty and schmoozing with ladies and kids. Maybe he was the first clown. Today we have Kevin Costner leading the merry woodsmen ("Dances With Fools"?) in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." And he dresses princelier too. You all know the story: Good guy robs the rich, helps the poor and fights bad guys like some sort of English ninja. The end, happily ever after, etc. Usually I don`t like paying for bedtime stories, but duty calls.

Adventure-seekers wanted Are you looking for adventure, Chicago? Phil Keoghan and the "Amazing Race" casting directors on Friday are coming to Joliet to find potential competitors for "Amazing Race 15." The open casting call, with Keoghan in attendance, is set for10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday at Harrah's Joliet,151 N. Joliet St. Applicants, who must be 21 or older, must bring a completed application, photos and passports to the call. Find more details and fill out the application at cbs2chicago.

-- A story in the Business section of the Jan. 9 Tribune incorrectly quoted T. Kimball Brooker, head of Morgan Stanley & Co.'s Chicago office, as saying that the Midwest Stock Exchange's policy of strengthening its specialist trading system, by moving assignments from weak traders to stronger traders, was like a "Robin Hood in reverse in a few cases, robbing the poor and giving to the rich." Brooker actually characterized the policy as "taking from the weak and giving to the strong."

Three cheers for Stephen Chapman! His column on welfare for farmers was excellent. I live in a farming community. I am surrounded by people who were fortunate enough to inherit farms worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don`t mind the fact that some people are more fortunate than I am. What burns me up is that the government sees fit to take money from me and give it to people who already have more than I do. This is Robin Hood in reverse!

A recent front-page article in The Tribune quotes U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski when referring to the Medicare Catastrophic Health Act as saying, "The people who are going to benefit from this are going to have to swallow and accept it." Mr. Rostenkowski ignores the fact that we live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. He does not tell us what we will do. We, the people, tell him! I can only hope that we senior voters express our opinion of this modern-day Robin Hood at the next congressional election.